The Knicks finished the first half of their season with a blowout loss to the Golden State Warriors, dropping their record to 10-31 at the midway point.

They had a tough first 41 games of the season.

New York Knicks head coach David Fizdale reacts in the second quarter against the Denver Nuggets at the Pepsi Center.(Photo: Isaiah J. Downing/USA TODAY Sports)

There were plenty of struggles, some of which were expected from one of the youngest teams in the NBA, others that were more surprising. And there were also some encouraging signs, like Kevin Knox's growth offensively and Noah Vonleh's development into a solid all-around player.

Still, the Knicks have a lot of work to do in the second half of the season.

"We've got a long ways to go,’’ Fizdale told reporters after his team's loss to the Warriors Tuesday at Oracle Arena in Oakland, Calif. “We've got to learn how to play complete games. Hopefully over the second half, I expect us to continue to get better. I expect the young guys to be a little more familiar and hopefully we can get more trust between us. We go through waves of trust offensively. I expect to keep improving.”

This season is all about growth and progress. They need to show much more of both in their next 41 games, especially if they're going to attract a star free agent this summer.

So with that in mind, here are five priorities for the Knicks in the second half of the season:

1. Move the ball consistently

The Knicks' offense in the first half of the season often became too stagnant. They would stop moving the ball and start taking poor shots. There's a reason why they're last in the league in assists per game (19.7). They were most successful when they kept the ball moving, which was evidenced in the first quarter of last week's win over the Los Angeles Lakers. The Knicks finished the first quarter with 10 assists and six three-pointers, jumping out to a 39-25 lead in the process. That was the way they wanted to play coming into the season, but they never did it consistently. Playing that way for all four quarters of every game needs to be a priority.

2. Improve defensively

While the Knicks wanted to be a team that moved the ball and shot a lot of threes coming into the season, they also wanted to be a tough defensive team. That hasn't happened. Far from it. Going into Wednesday, the Knicks ranked 29th in the NBA in defensive rating at 113.4, ahead only the Cleveland Cavaliers. They need to get better, especially when it comes to defending the pick and roll. Of course, the talent on the roster may not allow the Knicks to be the sort of defensive team they want to be. But there's certainly improvements to be made, especially considering they have such young players still developing. They need to show some strides defensively in the second half of the season.

3. Get Frank Ntilikina going consistently

This is the priority that never goes away. That's because, so far, the Knicks haven't been able to get much consistency out of Ntilikina, who's currently battling a sprained left ankle. The second-year guard is averaging 6.0 points per game while shooting 34.9 percent from the field and just 30.0 percent from the perimeter. He had some solid games, like when he scored 18 points and 16 points in consecutive contests, but too often looked far too tentative. He didn't play freely consistently, which is what the Knicks want from him. The Knicks need to figure out a way to get him going so they know at the end of the season what sort of player they have. If that means giving him extended minutes for every game the rest of the way, so be it. He's shown an ability to be the player the Knicks want him to be, so they know it's there. It's just a matter of getting that out of him from game to game.

4. Trade Enes Kanter

New York Knicks' Enes Kanter, center, reacts as his team trails behind the Utah Jazz late in the second half of an NBA basketball game on Saturday, Dec. 29, 2018, in Salt Lake City.(Photo: Kim Raff, AP)

This would be the best thing for both sides. It would give Kanter the chance to play, ideally for a winning team, while also allowing the Knicks to rid themselves of a disgruntled veteran. Kanter might not be a modern center in today's NBA, but he's a double-double machine, which would held a contending team. It appears the Knicks are exploring options. ESPN reported Wednesday the Knicks were discussing a trade with the Sacramento Kings where the expiring contracts of Kanter and Zach Randolph would be swapped. Whether it's that trade or a different one, a move needs to be made. For the Knicks, it would be best to get some sort of asset in return, like a second-round pick. It remains to be seen if that will happen.

5. Continue to develop Kevin Knox and Mitchell Robinson

Knox has made significant strides offensively, shown by his Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month honor he won for his performances in December. For the season, Knox is averaging 12.1 points, 4.2 rebounds and 0.9 assists while shooting 37.2 percent from the field and 35.3 percent from the perimeter. He's shown improvements in attacking the rim and finishing through contact, something he wasn't doing nearly as much of early in the season. But Knox still needs to improve his consistency from the perimeter and he needs to become a more efficient shooter. He also needs to grow defensively, which right now is probably the weakest part of his game. In fairness, most rookies take time to grow defensively, so it isn't surprising he's struggled on that end.

Robinson, who's out with a groin injury after missing 11 games because of a sprained ankle, has showed some good things, especially considering he didn't even play college basketball. He's a shot-blocking machine, the type of center who has a big impact on the Knicks' defense. But he needs to get better offensively. He's currently averaging just 4.7 points per game. He also needs to crash the boards harder. Right now he's only grabbing 3.9 rebounds per game. His continued development in the second half of the season will be key.